Pressing machine



June 17, 1941." A. F. HANNEY PRESSING MACHINE Fled'May 9, 1938 Patented June 17, 1941 UNITED PRESSING MACHINE Angus F. Hanney, Norwood, Ohio, assignorto' TheV American Laundry Machinery Company, Norwood, Chio, a corporation of Ohio Applicaticn'May 9, 1938, Serial'No. 206;72'8

1) Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in pressing machines and, more particularly, to a machine for pressing the yokes of mens shirts in any improved manner and to novel means for holding the neckband and, collar in proper position during a pressing operation.

The yoke of a mans negligee shirt extends from shoulder tor shoulder, partly to the rear of the back of the neckband and partly in frontV thereof. These portions are called respectively the back and front yoke portions. When in natural position. on the body of a wearer there is a denite break line across the shoulders so that the back yokeportion slopes downwardly toward the rear andthe front yoke portion slopes downwardly in the opposite direction. Anv object of the present invention is to iron the yoke of a mans shirt in this: natural position.

Prior devices for ironing the neck portion of a mans shirt have been incapable of ironing clear up to the junction line between the neckband and yoke and they have not provided for ironing the front shirt body portion up close to the neckband and in front of the yoke line. Prior devices also have required such a handling of an attached collar either by folding the same or by pushing it downwardly through an opening in the buck that theV collar would be mussed and wrinkled during such an operation. It is advisable in a shirt ironing line to iron the collar before the yoke and shirt portions are ironed and an object of the present invention is to provide a pressing machine for pressing andl ironing those portions of the shirt adjacent the neckband and collar without in anyway wrinkling or disturbing the finish of an-already ironed collar.

To theachievement of the above described ends I have provided a novel buck for supporting the upper portion of a` mans shirt, particularly the shoulder and'neck portions thereof, novel means for supporting the collar and neckband in a natural position during the pressing operation and novel means for holding the neckband taut so as to properly position the parts of the shirt duringk thel pressing operation. My invention also includes suitablev arrangement of the pressing head and buck and the means for moving the same into and out of pressing relation so that the parts will perform the function-desired in the most eicient manner. Other novel features of my invention will appear as the description proceeds and the essentialfeatures will be set forth in the claims'.

AIn the drawing, Fig. 1` is an end elevation of a pressing machine embodying my invention, certain parts being broken away and parts shown in Cil section sothat the mechanism may be more clearly understooda portion of a shirt dressed, onthe buck being` shown inl dot-daslfr lines` and the position of the pressing head in pressing positionI being showniirrbrokenlines; Fig. 2 isa plan View of the buck of' Fig;r 1 showing a portion of a shirt dressed thereon in dot-dashlines; Fig.-3 is a front elevation of the buck and the pressing head in open position ;y Fig. 41 is asectional view taken on the line 4-4-of Fig. 1.; Fig'. 5isa planview` ofthe collar supporting block taken: on the line 5 -5 of Fig..1;'and'Figa 61 is at sectional View taken' on the lineG-iiofiEig. 2r,.thisview showing a shirt on the buck inv cro'ss sectional form` and' showing theN head in pressure applied position.

I haveshownfthe present invention as embodied in a machine ofthetype disclosedin my copendi ing applicationfSerialNo.-130,962, led MarchV 15,- 1937! (PatentNo. 2,153,690,issued Apri111, 1939), although itv willi be understood that certainv features of my invention are applicable to other types of pressing`v machines. In theV machine disclosed" here and. in the copending application, frame IUf-is formed to provide a diaphragm cham*- ber Ill housing a; diaphragm I2'` which engages a piston lwhose piston rod I-'ll is'- connected with a buck P5` which is-l suitably mounted for vertical movement'rel'ative to the frame. It follows from this constructionv that the buck will normally be in its lower position but-upon the supplying ofI a pressure fluidl below the-diaphragnr through conduit Hfthebuckwill be raised.r Pivotally mounted in the frame at His ahead lever I8 which carries at its: forward endY apressing' headI I 9A adapted to coact with the buckv l5 in a pressing operation. The-means for movingY the head lever is acylinder and piston motor 2li* having al piston rod 2| con-- nected to a crank arm 22which is rigid on shaft 23 which in turn is rotatably mounted in lever I8. Also-rigidwithshaft 23vis a crank 24 which is connectedbyfa flexiblemember 25:-witha spring 26. The spring normally biases the head'toward open positionandreturns the' piston of rmotor 20 towardit-lieright' when fluid isexhausted fromV the motor.- Fluid is: supplied to motor 2U through conduit 21. The-controls for this type of machine are more clearly described in the above named copending application but it may be-here briefly stated' that thev motor uid is supplied through conduit- 28l tol valve mechanisms locatedv instationary arms 29 and these valvesI arev controlled by manuals accessible to the operator and' 1ocated a-t the point 30: By proper oper-ation of these manuals motive fluidV isfirstv supplied to motor 20^ moving the'head toa positionvertcally above the buck after which motive fluid is supplied beneath diaphragm I2, raising the buck into pressure engagement with the head. During the pressing operation motor 2G may be evacuated and the head is held in its pressure position by the toggle 3l which at that time is over dead center in an upward direction. The mechanism shown at 32 is a snubber suitablyconnected with the toggle 3|.

The buck i5 is designed to support the yoke and shoulder portions of a mans negligee shirt in the natural position which it assumes when on the body of a wearer. To this end the buck is convex upwardly at all points and has a definite break line running longitudinally of the buck and touching the neckband line at the point 33. The

portion a of the buck toward the operator slopes away from this break line and downwardly and supports the back yoke portion and the upper part of the back of the shirt. The portion lh of the buck away from the operator and to the rear of the point 33 slopes downwardly away from the operator and is adapted to support the front yoke portion and a certain part of the shirt front forwardly of the yoke and adjacent the front portion of the shirt neckband. Means is provided to support the neckband and the collar of a collar-attached shirt in a natural position during the pressing of the yoke and upper portions of the shirt adjacent the neckband. To this end a block. 34 is secured to the rear portion of the buck on top of the buck padding so as to provide a denite junction Jline 3'5 between the block 34 and the buck. The securing means for the block is a pair of studs 36 which pass through the buck padding. Referring to Fig. 1 and the dot-dash positionof the shirt shown therein, it will be noted that the block 34 eX- tends beyond the shirt collar in its upturned position and that the rear central portion of the block is flared slightly. This arrangement of the block 34 holds the neckband and collar in a natural upstanding position and in no way musees or wrinkles a collar which has already been iinished. The contour line 35 approaches the natural contour of a shirt neckband in position on a wearer, that is to say, the forward portions of the block at 35a converge from the widest point of the block at 35h. It will be noted that this portion of the block and the rear portion of the buck adjacent thereto support the front of the shirt forward of the yoke and adjacent the front part of the neckband in a natural position which avoids wrinklesand permits an ironing of this part of the shirt right up to the neckband line. Thisis a difficult part of a shirt to nish and I have here provided a structure which permits of a first class finishing operation on this part of a shirt.

The pressing head VI9 is provided with surfaces complementary to the buck so as to finish all parts of the shirt supported by the buck. To this end the head has portions lSa and |91) complementary respectively to the buck portions l'5a and |51). The head also has a cut-out portion 31 which closely conforms to the contour line 35, that is to say, there is just sucient clearance of this cut-out portion to accommodate the thickness of a collar and neckband draped on the block 34. Ilhe cut-out portion is therefore broadest at the points 31D and converges at the points 31a so as to iron the front of the shirt adjacent the front part of the neckband.

Because of the arrangement of the contour line 35 converging toward the front of the shirt and the complementary cut-out portion 31 and because of the very slight clearance between these coacting parts, it is necessary to carefully select the pivot point I1 so that the cut-out portion 31 will pass over the block 34 and properly engage the buck along the contour line 35. This is necessary in order that the narrow points 31a of the head cut-out portion may pass along and clear the narrower points 35a of 4block 34 while at the same time the central portion 31c of the head clears the point 34o at the rear central portion of vblock 34. Referring to Fig. l, the dot-dash Vline A shows the path traveled by the point 31e and the dotdash line B shows the path traveled by the points 31a. I have selected this pivot point l1 as lying in a plane substantially parallel to the top of the neckband, which is approximately on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1, and beyond the upper end of block 34.

I have provided novel means for holding the neckband in proper position on block 34 during a pressing operation. To this end I have secured to the central portion of block 34 a casting 3B, a portion of which provides a cylinder 39 which houses a piston 4t whose piston rod 4| is in the form of a rack. This rack engages a pinion 42 which is rigidly secured on shaft 43 which is rotatably mounted in casting 38. Fastened to op. posite ends of shaft 43 are clamping arms 44 each of which moves in a substantially vertical plane from the dot-dash position of Fig. 1 to the full line position thereof or from rear to front of the neckband in position on the buck. The free ends of these arms are provided with rounded knobs 44a which are so arranged that they frictionally engage the front portion of a shirt neckband and clamp it against the block 34. Preferably the yblock at these clamping points is provided with smooth portions 34h which are outwardly. It results from this construction that as the arms 44 move toward the full line position of Fig. 1 they engage the forward ends of the neckband and stretch it about the block 34'and hold it in a taut position wedged against the portions 34h. Means is provided for rotating the arms 44 and in the embodiment shown a spiral spring 45 biases the arms to operated or clamping position and means is provided for moving the arms to the dot-dash position of Fig. l while a shirt is dressed on the buck. Power means is here shown for this purpose comprising the motor described having the cylinder 39 and the piston 40. This motor is connected by a flexible conduit 46 with a combinedexhaust and inlet valve 41 which is so arranged that when the operator depresses treadle 48 at the lower front portion of the machine, air is supplied to cylinder 39 beneath piston 40 causing the piston to rise and rotate the arms 44 in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 1. The valve 41 has a normally closed inlet port 41a and a normally open outlet port 41h. The valve disks controlling these ports are mounted on -a common stem 41e and a spring pressed valve operating button 49 is carried by a lever 50 which is pivotally supported on a bracket 5l of the frame. Spring 52 normally holds lever 59 against a stop 53 on the frame. A rod 54 connects lever 59 with treadle 48. It will thus be apparent that upon depression of treadle 48 lever 50 is moved in a counterclockwise direction to move the valves 41 in a fluid supply direction so that fluid is supplied from conduit '55 through conduit 46 to thercylinder 39.

It will be noted that the outer face of block 34 is fluted thus providing passageways for ventilation whichprevents sweating of the block and consequent damage to the finish ofthe collar or neckband.

In ,operation the shirt is first dressed onl the buck I while the operator depresser treadle 48, after which the treadleV is allowed to rise and arms 44' are moved by spring 45V to neckband clamping position. The manuals at point are then operated causing the head I9 to moveto the broken line position of Fig. l. In this position theA surfaces I-tiwand IQb of the head are substantially parallel and slightly above the surfaces I 5a and |51) respectively of the buck. The controls are then operatedto supply fluid below diaphragm I2 causing buck I5 to rise vertically into pressure contact with the head. In this way the pressure is equally distributed over all shirt portions engaged between the head and buck; It-wouldj be difiicult in a scissors type of press to move the head toward the buck in lines substantially parallel to the sides of block 34 as heretofore described andto thereafter cause a pressing action between the head and buck equal over all portions thereof because the tendency would be to create a greater pressure between the portions |91) and Ib and less pressure between the portions Ia and Lia..

While I have shown the back of the shirt toward the operator and the block 34 toward the rear of the machine, it will be appreciated that certain features of my invention are equally applicable to a machine where these parts are reversed, namely, where the front portion of the shirt and the collar block 34 extend toward the operator.

What I claim is:

l. In a shirt pressing machine, a frame, a buck upwardly convex and having front and back yoke supporting portions, a neckband and collar supporting portion extending upwardly from one of said yoke supporting portions in a manner to support a collar substantially in the same position relative to the yoke of the shirt as said parts occupy when on the body of a wearer, said buck being mounted for vertical movement in said frame, a head lever pivotally mounted in said frame, a pressing head on said lever and oscillatable thereby to and from a position over said buck, said head having surfaces including a cutout portion adapted to press against said yoke supporting portions right up to the junction line of the latter with said neckband and collar supporting portion, means for moving said head into position above and with its surfaces substantially parallel to said yoke supporting portions of said buck and for holding it there, and means for moving said buck vertically into pressing engagement with said head.

2. In a shirt pressing machine, a frame, a buck upwardly convex and having front and back yoke supporting portions, a neckband and collar supporting portion extending upwardly from said front yoke supporting portion in a manner to support a collar substantially in the same position relative to the yoke of the shirt as said parts occupy when on the body of a wearer, said last named portion having a contour similar to the position of said neckband on the body of a wearer and extending substantially to the front of the neckband and there converging to avoid wrinkles, said buck being mounted for vertical movement in said frame, a head lever, a coacting pressing head carried by said lever and having surfaces complementary to the yoke supporting portions of said buck and having a cut-out portion closely fitting said contour including the converging parts, said lever having a pivot in said frame-lying in a plane substantially parallel to thetop of said neckband and beyondv the end of said collar supporting portion, whereby said headis moved in an arc over said collar supporting portion in a manner to cause the converging parts of the head cut-out portion to passby the converging partsof theneckband and collar supporting portion and to cause the centrali part of the cut-out portion to clear the back of the neckbandv supporting portion, means forv moving said head lever to position said head above said buck with the pressing surfaces of said head and buck substantially parallel, and means for moving said buck vertically into pressing'engagement with 'said head.

8. In a shirt pressing machine having a shirt body supporting portion and` aneckband supporting block, means for clamping said neckband to-said block comprising a pair of arms pivotally mounted above said blockv and swingable in substantially vertical planes one on each side of said block in direction from rear to front of a neckband supported on said block, and the free ends of said arms when swung toward the-front of a neckband being arranged to engage the outer face thereof and to hold the neckband against the block.

4. In a shirt pressing machine having a shirt body supporting portion and a neckband supporting block, means for clamping said neckband to said block comprising a pair of arms pivotally mounted above said block and swingable in substantially vertical planes one on each side of said block in direction from rear to front of a neckband supported on said block, said block having portions flaring outwardly toward the front of the neckband, and the free ends of said arms when swung toward the front of a neckband being arranged to engage the outer face thereof and to wedge the neckband against said flaring portions of said block.

5. Neckband clamping means as in claim 3 including means biasing said arms toward neckband engaging position, and foot-operated means for moving said arms in the opposite direction.

6. Neckband clamping means as in claim 3 including spring means for moving said arms in one direction and power means for moving said arms in the opposite direction.

7. Neckband clamping means as in claim 3 including spring means biasing said arms toward neckband engaging position, power means for causing movement of said arms in the opposite direction, and a foot-operated control member for said power means.

8. In a pressing machine, a buck adapted to receive the yoke, collar and shoulder portions of a shirt, said buck comprising a front portion on the operator side thereof sloping upwardly away from the operator to a denite break line coinciding with a line across the shoulders of a shirt tangent to the rearmost portion of the neckband of a shirt draped on said buck with the shirt back toward the operator, a rear buck portion sloping from said break line downwardly and away from the operator, a collar supporting portion extending upwardly and rearwardly centrally of said rear buck portion, a pressing read complementary to said front and rear 'buck portions, means for moving said head substantially into contact with the complementary buck portions, and means for moving said buck vertically into pressing engagement with said head.

9. In a shirt pressing machine, a frame, a buck upwardly convex and having front and back yoke supporting portions, a neckband and collar supporting portion extending upwardly from said front yoke supporting portion in a manner to support said collar substantially in the same position relative to the yoke of the shirt as said parts occupy when on the body of a wearer, said last named portion having a contour similar to the position of said neckband on the body of a wearer and extending substantially to the front of the neckband and there converging to avoid Wrinkles, a coacting pressing head having a cutout portion closely tting said contour including the converging parts, a head lever pivoted in said frame, said head being carried by said lever into and out of pressing position, and said pivot lying in a plane substantially parallel to the top of said neckband and beyond the end of said collar supporting portion, whereby as said head moves over said last named portion the converging parts of its cut-out portion pass by the converging parts of the neckband supporting portion and the central part of the cut-out portion clears the backneckband supporting portion.

1-0. In a pressing machine, a buck adapted to receive the yoke, collar and shoulder portions of a shirt, said buck comprising two portions extending in opposite directions from and sloping downwardly away from a line across the shoulders of a shirt approximately tangent to the rearmost portion of the neckband of the shirt, said two portions being adapted to support respectively the rear and front yoke portions of a shirt, a collar supporting portion extending upwardly centrally of said front yoke supporting portion of said buck, a pressing head having pressing portions complementary to said two buck portions, there being a cut-out portion of said head adapted to t closely around said co1- lar supporting portion of said buck, and a lever supporting said head for oscillation toward and from said buck, said lever having a pivot support located on the same side of said buck as said front yoke supporting portion of said buck, said pivot being so located that the cut-out portion of the head may clear the top rear portion of said collar supporting portion of the buck and press the back yoke portion of the shirt close to the neckband line.

ANGUS F. I-IANNEY. 

